Process for treating petroleum oil



1932- G. EGLOFF ETAL PROCESS FOR TREATING PETROLEUI OIL Original Filed Oct. 21, 1920 Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" GUSTAV EGLOFF AND HARRY P. IBENNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOBS TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA rnocnss FOR TR TING PETROLEUM on.

original application filed October 21, 1920, Serial-No. 418,587. Divided and this application filed July 17,

1924. Serial No. 726,439.

This application is a division of an application filed by us on October 21st, 1920, as

Serial No. 418,567.

This invention relates to a process for treating petroleum oil, and refers more particularly to a process adapted for the conversion of relatively heavier into lighter hydrocarbons by the so-called cracking operation. By means of the present invention, a. very considerable increase in output of gasoline or like hydrocarbons can be produced by the cracking process, and at the same time a higher qualityis obtained, due to certain scrubbing actions hereinafter referred to.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of our improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines AA of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 designates the furnace, 2 the burner, 3 the fire box, 4 the bridge walls and 5 theflue tunnel lea-ding to the stack (not shown). Mounted in the furnace is a still 6 in the present instance of the shell or cylindrical type, having manhole plate and equipped with a liquid draw- 05 8, controlled by valve 9. This still also has a vapor outlet 10, controlled by a throttle valve 11. The upper end of this vapor pipe 10 is provided with a right angled vertical extension 12, which projects as shown clearly, into a combined scrubber and cracker 13. This member 13 which may take the form of a cylindrical drum, is suitably supported on standards or brickwork 14 and is provided with manhole plate 15 and liquid level gauge 16. It also has a residue drawofi' pipe 17 having throttle valve 18. Within the drum 13 is a longitudinally extending cap or bafiie 19, which as shown clearly in Fig. 2 projects above the upper end of the extension 12, the

' arrangement being such as to compel the vapors which pass out of the pipe 12 to pass down through the liquidcontents of the drum under the lower parts 20 of the baflie. ,Preferably the drum 13 is maintained with liquid at the level shown by the dotted line a. This liquid is introduced and maintained at a predetermined level through the pipe 21 having Renewed August 14, 1930.

throttle valve 22, which pipe may lead to a suitable oil supply pump.

The vapors pass out of the drum through the vapor outlet pipe 23 having throttle valve 24, which pipe projects as shown into the lower end of a dephlegmator 25. The upper end of the-pipe 23 is provided with the spaced cap member 26 to prevent reflux condensate from falling back into the pipe. This reflux condensate instead, is drawn oil through the pipe 27, having throttle valve 28, the pipe normally leading back to the main feed line 29 for the still 6. This feed line 29 connects to a feed pump 30 leading to any suitable source ofraw oil supply. Throttle valves 31 and 32 are connected to the discharge and inlet sides of the pump 30 respectively. If desired, the reflux condensate may be drawn 011? through a branch pipe 33 having throttle valve 34.

The dephlegmator has a series of alternately disposed bafiles 35 and atits upper end is connected to the vapor pipe 36 having throttle valve 37 which pipe leads to a condenser coil 38 seated in condenser box 39. The lower end of coil 38 is connected by pipe 40, regulated by throttle valve 41, to the upper end of receiver 42. This receiver 42 is provided with liquid level gauge 43 and pressure gauge 44. It also has liquid drawofl pipe 45 having throttle valve 46 and gas outlet pipe 47 regulated by throttle valve 48.

. The process may be operated as follows: Fuel oil from the Mid-Continent crude petroleum, may be charged into the still, either continuously or intermittently, and there heated to a temperature of say 750 F., the vapors may be permitted to pass freely through the pipe 10 into the drum 13. This drum 13 contains a liquid such as Mid-Continent gas oil maintained at the level shown by the, dotted line a, through regulation of the valve 22, and the vapors as they pass out of the upper end of the pipe 12 are compelled by means of the member 19 to pass down through the liquid in the tank 13 be- .fore they can pass freely through the pipe At the same time, the heat of the vapors is such that at the pressure maintained in the a system, a certain percentage of the as oil may be cracked and the lighter constituents thereof pass out through the vapor outlet 23. The vapors which are condensed in the dephlegmator may be freely returned through the pi e 27 continuously back to the feed line 29. n such case, the valve 28 is opened and the valve 34 closed. The vapors which are not condensed in the dephlegmator pass to the condenser 38 and thence to the receiver 42. A pressure of 125 pounds may be maintained on the entire system and 50% to 60% of the charge in the still 6 converted into pressure distillate of say, 52 Baum gravity. In addition, a certain percentage of the gas oil will be cracked and the lig t constituents thereof removed.

As a modified method of carryin out the process, the gas oil may be intro uced in heated condition, say at a temperature of 400 degrees E, into the chamber 13, which if advantageous, may be insulated. This gas oil will therefore be more readily cracked than if cold.

As a still further modification of the process, differential pressures may be. maintained, as for example, 200 pounds on the still, 150 pounds on the chamber 13, 100 pounds on the dephlegmator 25, pounds on the condenser coil 38, 50 ounds on the receiver 42. In such cases, t e reflux condensate may be more readily drawn. out throu h the branch 33 by closing the valve 28 and suitably regulating the valve 34.

We claim as our invention:

1. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oils, consisting in. distilling the charging oil at a cracking temperature under superatmospheric pressure, in assinithe generated vapors to a combine scrub in and cracking vessel in maintaining a pre etermined supply of a second oil in said vessel, in compelling the vapors evolved from the charging oil undergoing ressure distillation to pass first downwar y and thence upwardly through the supply of said second oil in said vessel before escaping therefrom to simul taneously scrub such vapors and crack-some fractions of the oil in said vessel, in discharging scrubbed vapors evolved from said charging oil, commingled With vapors released from said second oil, from said vessel to a dephle mator, wherein the insufiiciently cracke fractions are condensed,

, forming reflux condensate, in retreating the reflux condensate b uniting the same with the charging oil un ergoing treatment in the process, and in condensing the dephlegmated vapors and collecting the resultin distillate.

2. A process'for simultaneous y treating separate .oils, to produce therefrom .a common product of lower boiling point than from the bu supply of'oll and released from said body of oil to reflux condensation, to separate insufliciently cracked fractions therefrom, in returning such insufliciently cracked fractions in the form of reflux condensate, to said bulk supply of oil, and in continuously admitting additional char 'ng oil from independent sources to said ulk supply and to said body of oil, while maintaming a superatmospheric pressure on the oil un ergoing treatment in the process. GUSTAV EGLOFF. HARRY P. BENNER. 

